Azealia Banks Releases Statement After Fans Show Concern For Her Mental Health
Fans took to Twitter to express their thoughts on her needing support rather than negative call-outs that could impact her mental health.
Azealia Banks has released an Instagram post updating her fans on her well-being. Alongside a selfie, the caption to the post read, “I’m fine better than I was before.”
Over the weekend, fans rallied behind Banks and touched on her mental health after she shared a number of alarming posts on her Instagram which included suicidal thoughts.
On Saturday she wrote the following:
“Yea, I think I’m done here. This pandemic, extreme lack of social interaction, no intimacy, combined with constant public ridicule is making life harder than it’s worth… I think I will end my tenure here on earth soon.”
TW // mental health
Azealia Banks posts alarming series of Instagram stories; says she will “end her tenure here on earth soon.”
“I’m just ready to go. Peacefully of course […] My soul is tired.” pic.twitter.com/9Qv1AJsMrT
— Pop Base (@PopBase) August 9, 2020
For those who assume Banks was seeking attention, she made it clear she wasn’t. “I’m not begging for attention or asking for sympathy/empathy…. I’m just ready to go.” She added: “I will document my last times and release a film for you all to finally understand me, from my perspective. My soul is tired.”
In a follow-up video, she shared that she’d be releasing several projects her fans had been waiting for. But, she also made mention of voluntary euthanasia options since she “doesn’t have any more defense.”
Azealia Banks posts a follow-up to last night. She says that she’d rather die than be constantly ridiculed and having her ideas stolen, and that she “doesn’t have any more defense.” pic.twitter.com/LWhBQjB8fU
— azealia’s story (@azealiastory) August 9, 2020
At the moment, it’s not clear what led to her latest posts. Banks’ fans spoke up for her and called out the fact that her mental health has been affected over the years. Recently, she expressed she was going to have a “Britney Spears moment” and then shaved her head. She shared this process on Instagram and mentioned she cut her hair “to feel fresh again.”
In recent years, Azealia has maintained her status as a widely followed and controversial figure mainly due to her sporadic posts on social media. Despite this, she’s also an undeniable talent in the hip-hop industry. Her wordplay, personal style, and ever-changing hairstyles cannot be ignored as they are a case study that has been followed. To her many fans, she was a blueprint that left an indelible mark on the industry.
As the entire nation reckons with the COVID-19 pandemic, Azealia’s recent commentary highlights mental health should be taken seriously. Black women also deserve a certain level of grace when coping with internal conflict publicly.
Take a look at the messages below from fans that provided a look at Banks’ current state shared on Twitter below. Notable highlights come from Atlanta artist Yung Baby Tate, Kali Uchis and fashion archivist Rashida Renée.
Y’all don’t wanna give ppl their flowers till u by their gravesite & that’s the problem. Y’all ignore Azealia Banks every day. Talk about how problematic she is. Now the aftermath of years of being treated poorly and unappreciated is showing its head and y’all wanna fake care. 🖕🏿
— SEKOYA (@yungbabytate) August 9, 2020
I try not to be bitter about the Azealia Banks thing but people really threw her away but will give their precious whites, their aspirational light skins, and the awful abusive men in the industry they worship chance after chance and make excuses for them but this lady gets dust
— Rashida Renée (@evilrashida) August 9, 2020
send positive thoughts to Azealia Banks please. female artists should be allowed to be complicated & imperfect. a lot of us struggle w mental health, come from trauma & are just trying to do our best. even more so as a Black woman, she deserves grace. i love u azealia
— KALI UCHIS🐉 (@KALIUCHIS) August 9, 2020
Sending all my love to Azealia Banks, because black women, especially dark skinned black women, are held to higher standards and are put on such a high pedestal that if they fall – they fall *hard*.
— ༺ร𝔞𝔪༻ | #SuperOne (@nobodys__angel) August 9, 2020
The azealia banks stuff is also frustrating because I remember the first time she messed up publicly and after that it was like the gates opened up and everyone finally got to attack her and get that hatred they have for dark black women out but have it be “justified”
— 🌑 (@Abalisah) August 9, 2020
I really hope that Azealia Banks is covered/protected in this moment. Black women with mental illness genuinely do not get the same grace/empathy as others do. She deserves a healthy life where she doesn’t feel this pain.
— 𝕮𝖔𝖚𝖗𝖙 𝕶𝖎𝖒 💥 (@TheCourtKim) August 9, 2020
Praying for Azealia Banks.
Black women need grace.
Black women need tenderness.
Black women need care.
Black women need mercy.
Black women need forgiveness.
— M.DivA (@sista_theology) August 9, 2020
I pray for Azealia Banks. She’s never been given the same grace and that can become exhausting for anyone.
— ᴅᴏʟʟᴀʀ (@callmedollar) August 9, 2020
